


Unspoken

by Dragons_Heart



Series: Obikin Week 2k18 [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Costume Parties & Masquerades, M/M, Mutual Pining, Obikin Week, Some Fluff, Undercover, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 18:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15370878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragons_Heart/pseuds/Dragons_Heart
Summary: Anakin and Obi-Wan must go undercover to catch a Separatist spy. What secrets lie beneath the masks of Canto Bight?





	Unspoken

**Author's Note:**

> Obikin Week Day 5!!
> 
> Today's prompts are Touched Starved and Halloween/Masquerade. I chose Masquerade.
> 
> Enjoy!

Undercover missions were never Anakin’s forte. He always preferred to run in armed with his lightsaber, ready to cut down battle droids and knock a few heads. He hated hiding and waiting and watching for _something_ to happen. That involved patience, which had never been his strongest virtue.

And yet, the Council decided to assign him this mission on Canto Bight which involved keeping his Jedi identity hidden and mounds upon mounds of patience. It also involved having to interact with the Galaxy’s rich and elite, many of whom had made their fortunes by somehow utilizing the slave trade in the past. It made it difficult for Anakin to control his temper, which, by extension, made it harder for him to keep his identity under wraps.

The only good things he could even associate with this mission were the opportunity to nab a high ranking Separatist spy, and that the Council had enough foresight to assign Obi-Wan to this mission as well.

Okay, maybe “foresight” was the wrong word. It was probably more accurate that Obi-Wan _demanded_ to go because he knew someone needed to keep Anakin from destroying the casino when he discovered a slaver or slave owner. The Council could never say no to Obi-Wan.

“Now, Anakin,” the aforementioned Jedi began as he straightened his tie in the mirror. “Remember, we’re acting as members of high society tonight, so please—”

“I know, act pompous and keep my temper under control,” Anakin muttered.

“I was going to say, act civilized and use your head before speaking or acting.”

“But calm and pompous also works.”

Obi-Wan let out a sigh. “If it helps this go well, sure. ‘Calm and pompous’ will suffice.”

“Which means I just need to pull off my best Obi-Wan impression,” Anakin said, snickering at Obi-Wan when he glared.

“You’re insufferable.”

“And you have a lightsaber up your ass.”

“I do not!”

“Whatever you say, Master.”

With a shake of his head and roll of his eyes, Obi-Wan turned away and went back to making sure his appearance fit in with that of the clubs and casinos. Yet another reason he was more suite for these undercover missions than Anakin. Obi-Wan took time and effort to make sure he could achieve and keep appearances, while Anakin…well, he’d just slapped on the suit and tie provided for him and slicked his hair back. All he needed to do was look nice. He’d learned as a child that clothing could change a person’s perception of someone. Be well dressed, you could easily pass off as wealthy and important. Dress ratty and…well, you’d be asked who owned you first and your name last, if they even cared. Just the memory of having to throw Watto’s name around so he wouldn’t be taken and sold again brought a foul taste to his tongue. He had to physically shake it off so he could focus on the task at hand.

“You’re target is Fenris Octavian,” Master Windu had told them three days ago. “He’s made his fortune in cargo shipping and freighters, but we believe he’s recently been selling Republic secrets to Separatist leaders, as well as funding part of their military operations. Your mission will be to find him and bring him back to Coruscant for questioning.”

Really, it seemed simple enough. And having seen a glimpse of Canto Bight when they arrived yesterday, Anakin could tell no one hear was the type for subtlety or keeping their head down. They were braggers and gamblers and drinkers. No one held any loyalties. It reminded him of Tatooine, except Canto Bight did all it could to hide the ugliness that made it function behind gold and glamor, and Tatooine was all ugly.

Unfortunately, finding this Fenris guy was going to be made difficult due to tonight’s dress code. Black, white, and masks. Of course, there had to be masks.

“Obi-Wan, we need to go,” Anakin said, sliding his black mask over his head. Large and intricate, it helped hide his features, including the scar over his right eye that had become a well-known and easy to identify marker for “The Hero With No Fear”. Okay, so maybe the masks had some benefit.

Obi-Wan nodded and glanced in the mirror again. “Let me trim this spot one more—”

“Obi-Wan.”

The elder sighed and nodded. “Right, right. We’re on a schedule,” he said. Anakin rolled his eyes as he watched his former master slip his own mask on, sleeker than Anakin’s own and white; a perfect contrast with his black coat and shirt, and the right compliment with his white pants and tie. The exact opposite of Anakin’s look. Obviously together, yet different enough they weren’t the same. Two halves of a whole, just as they were in daily life.

“All right, I’m ready,” Obi-Wan said.

“You sure?” Anakin asked. “You don’t need to primp anymore?”

“Anakin—”

“Calm down, I’m teasing. Mostly.”

“ _Anakin._ ”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Let’s go.”

Obi-Wan gave a nod and led them from their rooms and out into the hall. “You do remember our aliases, right?”

“Would you have some faith in me?” Anakin asked. At Obi-Wan’s glance, he sighed. “You’re Ben and I’m Kaul. Happy?”

“Exceptionally.”

Anakin just shook his head and let them walk the rest of the way to the event in silence. He didn’t know what he’d do without Obi-Wan, but Force, sometimes the man could be…annoying.

The pair reached the main casino and had to glance at each other with raised brows. They knew Canto Bight was a popular spot for the rich, but neither of them had realized there were quite _this many._ The crowds were nearly shoulder to shoulder, turning the room into a zoo of sweat, champagne, and money.

Anakin reached up and rubbed at his nose, which Obi-Wan answered with a nod. They then spread out, Obi-Wan taking the northern half of the room and Anakin the southern. It didn’t take long for Anakin to lose sight of his former master and he focused his attention on the people around him. He snagged a glass of champagne from a passing servitor droid, sipping at it to keep someone from coming up and speaking to him. Small talk would be a distraction he didn’t need. He had to stay focused on the details around him so he could find Octavian, a task difficult enough as the snippets of conversation he heard from these entitled pricks made him grit his teeth.

“Any news?” Obi-Wan asked when they met again near the middle of the room. Not in the middle as some of the tables had been cleared to create a dance floor. Apparently even Canto Bight felt the need to involve dancing in a masquerade event.

“News, yes,” Anakin muttered, his tone agitated. “Our friend, no.”

“Kaul, relax,” Obi-Wan said. He met Anakin’s eyes, immediately making the younger ease up just a little. “Focus on why we’re here.”

“I’m trying.”

“Ignore the chatter. Breathe. Are you sure you didn’t see anything?”

Anakin took a deep breath in through his nose and blew it out through his mouth. He took a moment to think. “No,” he said. “Nothing. There’s too many people around, and I can’t decide if these masks are a hinderance or a blessing.”

“I’ve hit the same problems,” Obi-Wan mused. “We need a vantage point to scope the whole room, but finding a good one is a problem.”

“I have an idea.”

Obi-Wan quirked a brow when Anakin said nothing else. Then, his nose wrinkled up when Anakin’s lips curled up into a mischievous smile.

“Okay, what are you—” The Jedi master yelped as Anakin grabbed his hand and yanked him onto the dance floor. “Ana—Kaul, what in the blazes are you doing?”

“Dance with me, Ben,” Anakin said, his eyes glimmering. He placed a hand on Obi-Wan’s waist and drug him up against his chest. “You know you want to.”

“This is highly inappropriate,” Obi-Wan hissed, even though he conceded and placed his free hand on Anakin’s shoulder. Anakin knew his former master wasn’t going to cause an unnecessary scene by resisting. A light blush did dust his cheeks under his mask, however.

“Please, everyone here thinks we’re a pair. Might as well fuel the fire,” Anakin whispered back. “Besides, now we’re in the center of the room. We can see and hear everything much easier than if we were aimlessly wandering around.”

“Hm. You’re right. Good call.”

“I have those on occasion, don’t act so surprised.”

“I will if I want to.”

Anakin’s only response was to roll his eyes. They needed to focus, not bicker back and forth. He observed the room around them, even as he acted like he was keeping his attention on Obi-Wan. He could tell the other man was doing the same from his posture and the way his eyes would glance over Anakin’s shoulder.

And then the music slowed. The chatter died down some as more couples took to the dance floor, booming voices and raucous laughter transitioning into soft whispers and quiet chuckles. Even the air itself felt like it changed, becoming more charged than before, perhaps even heavier. And Anakin suddenly found himself very aware of how close Obi-Wan was.

He could feel the way their bodies were pressed close together, having shifted into even more intimate contact than when they started dancing from the press of people around them. He could feel the warmth of the shorter man’s breath against his neck. He could feel the weight of Obi-Wan’s hand on his shoulder, how his fingers tightened into more of a hold. He could feel how his back tensed under Anakin’s own hand when, for some reason, he felt the need to pull them even closer.

“Anakin…” Obi-Wan breathed, so low no one else would hear. His words caused Anakin to look down at him, the pink of the Jedi master’s cheeks and his widened eyes confirming how flustered he had become.

An ache filled Anakin’s chest, an intense longing he thought he’d buried as a teenager. But here it was, back in full force as he held his former master in his arms and observed his face. He couldn’t fully read his expression due to the white mask, but he thought he could see the same longing he felt in those sea blue eyes he had always found alluring and intoxicating.

Anakin never answered Obi-Wan, nor did Obi-Wan continue. Rather, the younger man felt himself drawn into the elder. Obi-Wan’s hand on his shoulder tightened more, but not in protest. It was a squeeze of anticipation. Anakin leaned down as Obi-Wan pushed up, noses brushing, lips parting, black touching white…

“I’m tellin’ ya, the new line of freighters is top notch!” The gruff, booming voice snapped the Jedi out of their reverie. They recognized it, having studied it for two days. There was only the slightest hesitation before they pulled apart and darted into action. Within moments, Fenris Octavian was penned against the bar and Anakin was slapping cuffs on his wrists.

“By the authority of the Jedi Order, you are under arrest for treason against the Republic and conspiracy,” Obi-Wan said, his tone the familiar authority of the famed Negotiator. It betrayed nothing of what had transpired just moments ago. And yet, as they escorted Octavian out, Anakin could have sworn he caught Obi-Wan giving him a look of desire from the corner of his eye.

**Author's Note:**

> So, by the time this piece goes up, I will be on vacation (most likely in the car travelling). I am going to do days 6 and 7, and possibly 8, but they may be a few days to a week late since I'll be visiting family those days and I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write.


End file.
